Stock indicator



Aug. 20, 1929. MILLER 1,725,364

STOCK INDICATOR Filed Aug. 17, 1927 3 INVENTOR o BY 5 N Mug Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

HARRY MILLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STOCK INDICATOR.

Application filed August 17, 1927. Serial No. 213,565.

This invention is an improvement in stock indicators, and more particularly in appara tus for indicating the number of units in each of the various lots in stock.

In stock indicators as heretofore constructed, the movable indicators are liable to displacement through accident, or through unauthorized tampering with the same. The indicators are as a rule frictionally held, and

there is nothing to prevent their movement by unauthorized parties.

The total of units in any class which may be indicated by the indicators of usual construction-is limited with a device of a reason- 5 able size, and increments of capacity are accompanied by corresponding increases in size of the indicator.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of means in connection with an indicator including movable indicating slides cooperating with indications, for locking the slides against movement after adjustment has been made, and so arranged that the locking means can be guarded from release except by authorized persons. Y

Another object is the provision of an arrangement of indications, such that any selected number of units may be indicated below a selected maximum, without marked increase in the size of the device.

Another object is the provision of a simple and inexpensive construction, wherein all the indications are prominently displayed.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts. fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that vari ous changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of .the invention.

In the drawings forming a part hereof Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved indicator looking from above.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. at is a perspective view oi one of the slides or indicators.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the indicating bars.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view looking at the opposite side of'the slide from Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a portion of the facing plate. 7

Fig. 8 is a detail in section similar to Fig. 3, showing an alternate arrangement of lock operating mechanism.

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional details showing alternate forms of slides.

F ig. 11 is a top plan view of the bar shown in Fig. 9.

In the present embodiment of the inventron the improved indicator includes a box like supporting structure composed of sides 1, ends 2, and a bottom 3, the bottom having preferably anti-friction feet 4, as for instance knobs of elastic material, such as rubber.

A plurality of bars 5 is arranged between the end and side walls of the structure at the top, the bars being in the same plane, parallel, and spaced apart slightly from each other. Upon each of these bars is arranged a plurality of slides or indicators of the character shown more particularly in Fig. 4.

Each of the slides or indicators is a substantially U-s'haped member 6, adapted to fit over a bar, with one of the arms of the member above the bar, and with the other below. The upper arm has a finger piece 7 at one end, and a notch 8 near the other, the notch extending inwardly from'the side edge of the arm. The lower arm has a resilient tongue 9, for making counter pressure on the underside of the bar, to hold the slide in adjusted position, and a locking tongue 9 for a purpose to be presently described.

The tongue is integral with the slide, be-

ig formed by cutting the material on three lines, two of which are parallel, and intersected by the third. The material between the lines is bent up as shown to bear against the underside of the bar. The notch 8 is a sight opening, through which the indications on the bar may be viewed, the indication appearing through the notch being that which the slide is'designed to indicate.

Each bar is provided with three sets of indications. One set, the first, indicated at 10 is all numerals, and arranged consecutively from 0 to 50. The second set 11 is composed in the present instance partly of numerals, and partly of letters, the letters however, indicating numbers in the Roman system. c

In the present instance the numbers indicate multiples of 10, the first number being 50, the second' 100, the third150, and so on by 50 up to 1,000, indicated by the indication 1. The third set 12 is composed of numer als and letters, and indicates numbers from 1 to For each set of indications 10, 11 and 12, a slide 6 is provided, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1, the respective slides cooperating with the respective sets of indications. In order to indicate numbers of lot units of less than 50, the slide of the first set 10 of indications will be alone used, and the remaining slides will be set on the blank spaces, indicated at N, provided between the sets of indications, and beyond the third set 12. That is the slides with the exception of that pertaining to the set 10 of indications will be in Zero position.

If for instance there are 49 units in the lot, the slide of the set 10 of indications will be set with the indication 49 appearing at the notch 8. If there are units in the lot, the slide pertaining to the set 11 of indications will be placed with the indication 2 appearing at the notch 8, and the slide pertaining to the set 10 of indications will be set with the indication 49 appearing at the notch. Should there be 8,249 units in the lot, the indicator of the third set will be brought into use, being placed so that the indication 8 appears at the notch.

Thus the sum of the three indications will be 8,249. It will be obvious that by providing another set of indications reading 70 80, 90 and 100, articles up to 100,000 in a lot might be indicated. This further arrangement is not shown because it is only a continuation of that already shown.

In order to provide a permanent indication from one inventory to another, it is desirable that the slides or indicators be locked in set position against the possibility of ac cidental displacement. To enable this looking, a plate 13 is arranged below the bars, the said plate being of an area such that it will fill the horizontal cross section of the box, .while freely movable vertically therein.

The plate is provided with a facing 14 of metal or like hard material, provided on the face adjacent to the bars with a plurality of transverse parallel grooves 14" spaced apart from each other at equal distances, and at distances corresponding to the spacing of the indications 10*11-12. The arrangeient is such that when the plate is lifted into contact with the slides, in a manner to be presently described, the tongues 9 of the slides will engage in the grooves 14, t0 )OSltlVQlY lock the slides against movement. The plate is supported by radial arms 15, .on a shaft 16 journaled transversely of the box structure, in the side walls thereof, the

plate being connected to the arms by links 1'7, rigid with the plate, and pivoted to the arms.

Coil springs 18 are arranged between the plate and the bottom of the box for normally pressing the plate into binding con tact with the slides, thereby to prevent accidental displacement thereof. When it is desired to lower the plate to release the slides, the shaft 16 is oscillated in the proper direction, pulling down the plate against the resistance of the springs, and releasing the slides.

The shaft is as before stated journaled in the side walls 1 of the box'structure, and at one wall an. external socket-19 is provided into which the end of the shaft extends. This end of'the shaft is polygonal as shown to engage the barrel of a key 20 having a cross section corresponding to that of the shaft. By means of the key the shaft may be turned to lower the plate Mechanism is also provided for holding the shaft with the plate in released position, during adjustment of the slides. This mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 21 on the shaft, which is engaged by a pawl22 pivoted to the inner face of the side wall 1 of the box structure. The pawl has an operating pin 23, which extends through an arc shaped opening 24 in the box structure wall. By means of the pin the pawl may be released, when the springs will return the plate to locking position.

Preferably an indicating plate 24 is arranged at that end of the box structure which is at the top of the bars, and transversely of the adjacent ends of the bars. This plate carries groups 25 of indicating numerals, in the present instance indicating the lot numbers of the goods, the units of which are indicated by the adjacent bar. The groups of numerals 25 are in alinement with the re spective bars, and it is obvious that they might be replaced by the group name of the articles.

Each of the plates 24, which maybe of any suitable material such as paper, is held in a holder 26 of'sheet metal or the like, having its side edges turned over upon the plate. The holder 26 is set in between the side walls of the box structure, with the turned over edges substantially flush with the top of the side and end wall.

The'grooves 14 of the plate 14 are so arranged that when an indication 10, 11, 12 or N is visible through the sight opening 8, the tongue 9 of the slide will be in register with a groove, so that when the locking plate 1314 is lifted by the springs, the tongues will slip into the grooves, thus holding the slides against movement, in either indicating position, or zero position indicated at N. The holder is detachably connected with the box structure, in the present instance by "screws 27, so that it may be removed when desired.

In Fig. 8 an alternate form of operating mechanism for the locking plate is shown. In this arrangement the plate 28 has connected therewith rack bars 29, which engage pinions 30 on the shaft 31, corresponding to the shaft 16 of Fig. 2. A bar 32 is arranged on the opposite sides of the racks from the pinion, to guide the racks in their movement, and to hold them in engagement with the pinions. The construction is otherwise the same as in Fig. 1.

The slide shown in Fig. 9 is the same as that shown in Fig. 4, except that latch mechanism is provided for holding it in adjusted position, to prevent accidental displacement, as for instance when moving another slide past the same. In this construction the slide 33 has pivoted thereto a latch 34. The latch is pivoted to the slide, and has a depending member 35 which engages openings 36 in the top of the bar 37 corresponding to the bar 5 of Fig. 1. The latch is normally pressed into operative position by a spring 36, which is arranged between the finger piece 37 of the slide and an upstanding part on the latch 34. With this arrangement when the finger piece is grasped to move the slide, the latch is simultaneously released, so that the slide is free to move on the bar. Thus there is no possibility of accidental displacement.

In Fig. 10, the slide 38 has a spring 39 in connection with the lower arm. This spring bears against the underside of the bar 40, and is provided with a ball point 41, engaging rounded openings 42 in the underface of the bar. The spring is sufficient to hold the slide against accidental displacement, but is easily released when the slide is moved.

,WVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a stock indicator, a plurality of indicating bars supported in substantially the same plane in parallel spaced relation, each bar carrying indications, a slide movable on each bar for cooperating with the indications, and means to simultaneously lock all of the slides against movement on the bars.

2. In a stock indicator, a plurality of indicating bars supported in substantially the same plane in parallel spaced relation, each bar carrying indications, a slide movable on the bar for cooperating with the indications, and means to simultaneously lock all of the slides against movement on the bars, said means normally operative.

3. In a stock indicator, a plurality of indicating bars supported in substantially the same plane in parallel spaced relation, each bar carrying indications, a slide movable on the bar for cooperating with the indications, and means to simultaneously look all of the slides against movement on the bars, said dicating slides carried by the bars and slidable thereon, and a common means for simultaneously locking all of the slides against movement on the bars.

5. A stock indicator comprising a box structure having an open top, and a plurality of indicating bars supported at the top in V substantially the same plane in parallel relation and spaced apart from each other, indicating slides carried by the bars and slidable thereon, and a common means for simultaneously locking all of the slides against movement on the bars, said means'normally operative.

6. A stock indicator comprising a box structure having an open top, and a plurality of indicating bars supported at the top in the same plane in parallel relation and spaced apart from each other, indicating slides carried by the bars and slidable thereon, and a common means for simultaneously looking all of the slides against movement on the bars, said means including a plate within the structure spring urged toward the bars, a facing on the plate having transverse grooves, the slides having locking tongues adapted to be received in the grooves when the plate is in looking position, said grooves positioned to lock the slides at the appropriate indications.

7. A stock indicator comprising a box structure having an open top, and a plurality of indicating bars supported at the top in the same plane in parallel relation and spaced apart from each other, indicating slides carried by the bars and slidable thereon, and a common means for simultaneously locking all of the slides against movement on the bars, said means including a plate within the structure spring urged toward the bars, a facing on the plate having transverse grooves, the slides having locking tongues adapted to be received in the grooves when the plate is in locking position, said grooves positioned to lock the slides at the appropriate indications, and means to lock the plate against the resistance of the spring, said means including a shaft connected with the plate to move the same when the shaft is oscillated, and means to hold the shaft with the plate in released position.

8. In a stock indicator, a bar having indications and a slide movable thereon, the slide substantially U-shaped, the arms thereof engaging above and below the bar, and the lower arm having a resilient tongue engaging the barto frictionally hold the slide in adjusted position.

9. A, stock indicator comprising a box structure having an open top, and a plurality ofindicating bars supported at the top in the same plane in parallel relation and spaced apart from each other, indicating slides carried by the bars and slidable thereon, and a common means for simultaneously locking all of the slides against movement on the bars, said means including a plate within the structure spring urged toward the 7 bars a facin on the )late havin transverse 7 U h grooves,the slides having locking tongues adapted to be received in the grooves when the plate is in locking position, said grooves positioned to lock the slides at the appropriate indications, and means to lock the plate 7 against the resistance of the spring.

.10. In a stock indicator, a plurality of bars, each having unit indications, a slide movable on each bar, and a plate movable toward and from the bar beneath the same, said plate and slide having interengaging means to hold the slide from movement when the plate is pressed thereagainst."

11. In a stock indicator, a plurality of bars, each having indications, a slide movable on each bar, and a latch in connection with the slide for holding the slide in adcarrying indications, a slide movable on each bar for cooperating with the indications,'and means to posltively lock each slide against movement on the bar,

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 10th day of August A. 1927.

HARRY MILLER. 

